While many retailers allow you to earn ‘money’ for shopping at their stores, Kohl’s seems to provide one of the most flexible programs with their Kohl’s Cash incentive. But do you know everything there is to know about Kohl’s Cash? Chances are you may not realize how to use it for maximum savings.

What is Kohl’s Cash?

Spend $50 in-store, or online, and earn $10 in Kohl’s Cash. The more you spend, the more you earn. There is no limit to how much Kohl’s Cash you can earn during any one visit. You cannot use the Kohl’s Cash on the day it is earned, but there are dates on the front of each piece of Kohl’s Cash indicating the dates it can be redeemed. Not only does this equate to FREE MONEY, it can be combined with other discounts and coupons to maximize the savings. Chances are you already knew most of that. But, you may not know the rest:

It's not always available – Kohl’s Cash is simply a promotion, not something the store offers at all times. Typically, Kohl's runs their Kohl's Cash promotion about once a month. Thus, if you know you have an event or occasion you will need to shop for, plan it around the promotion dates.

Spend $50 pre-tax – If your pre-tax merchandise total hits $ 49.99, you will either have to spend more money to receive the Kohl’s Cash, or lose out on it altogether. That’s one reason why Kohl’s keeps candy bars, stuffed animals and other low-cost items near the register. In a desperate attempt to reach hit that $50 mark, many shoppers will spend an extra $5 or more than they planned. Therefore, keep up with your calculations while you shop to prevent an impulse buy.

Two items that won’t earn you Kohl’s Cash – Anything you buy at Kohl’s will help reach the $50 mark to qualify for Kohl’s Cash. Clearance items, online orders, sale items – anything and everything are eligible except two things: Gift cards and charity items (such as the books and stuffed animals at the front of the store) are the only two ineligible items.

Use Kohl’s Cash on anything - There are no exclusions to what you can spend your Kohl’s Cash on. Use it on sale items, clearance stuff, damaged merchandise, etc. In fact, if you bought an item and forgot to bring in your Kohl's Cash at the time of purchase, bring your receipt and your Kohl's Cash back to customer service and you'll get back the difference. There is also no minimum purchase required to redeem it. Plus, you can redeem Kohl’s Cash online; just enter the promo code at checkout.

The expiration date doesn't matter - Kohl's has a 'Yes we can!' policy which they have to abide by. This is great for the customer because if you ask them to do something and it's a reasonable request, they have to say yes. Therefore, if you bring in expired Kohl's Cash, they will honor it. You may want to get it approved at customer service before taking it to the register up front, though. If you get a difficult cashier that tells you no, ask to speak with a manager. This technique will always work at Kohl’s.

You can combine it with other coupons - Feel free to combine Kohl's Cash with any other coupons and savings. This includes any percent off or dollar off coupons that you get in the mail. It also includes any online coupons you find for ordering from the Kohl's website, too!

If you return an item, it will affect Kohl’s Cash – Kohl’s has a great tracking system. Not only can you return items without a receipt, but Kohl's can also track which items you purchased that you received Kohl’s Cash for. Thus, if you return one of the items, they will know it. You will either have to return the Kohl’s Cash or they will void it out so it is unusable. If you’ve already used the Kohl’s Cash, the balance will be deducted from your return.

If you lose it, it's gone - The store doesn't keep track of the Kohl's Cash for you, so if you lose it, it is gone. There's no way to retrieve it or get a new one issued. Keep it in your wallet where you keep your cash to prevent it from being lost.

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Jennifer Wagner is an award-winning freelance writer who enjoys sharing money-saving tips and advice with her readers. With over 20 years of experience working in the home improvement and décor industry, she specializes in topics related to family living. o contact, email: jasyjensthoughts@hotmail.com